Page 5 of Devil's Game

I pushed the thought aside, deciding to put my trust in the guys. It’d been so long since I felt I could trust someone. But relying on these men once more? That felt right.

“You’ve never looked more beautiful, angel,” Spade whispered. He leaned close, tucking the sticky mess of hair he’d been examining behind my ear. “I love the way you look covered in the blood of our enemies.”

As his breath skated over the shell of my ear, heat rushed through my veins, chasing away the lingering frost of fear that had coated my skin. His timing might seem off to some, but it was like he knew exactly what I needed. Losing myself to fear and anxiety wouldn’t help anyone, and the thick note of lust in Spade’s tone brought me back to my center.

“I guess I’ll have to try the look out more often.” We shared a mischievous grin, a sign that we were both planning our next move. There was so much more blood to be spilled, and I knew Spade would be there with me each step of the way—after we made sure Sophia was safe, of course.

“Zane,” Merrick barked. “We have a problem.”

“I know,” Zane growled back. “I’ve been trying to call you. He left the penthouse about an hour ago. I’ve been following him, but—”

“Yeah, we know,” Merrick cut him off, his jaw ticking. “He took Giana. It’s a long story, but we got her back. Now, the problem is, he might try to use one of her friends as collateral to get her back.”

A wave of nervous energy came crashing down on me, chasing away any trace of the earlier warmth Spade had breathed back into my body. Like he could sense it, Kellan took my hands in his, cocooning them between his warm, slightly rough, palms, helping to keep the tendrils of dread at bay.

“Merrick . . .” Zane’s warning vibrated across the line, and I sucked in a sharp breath, the demand to go to New Yorkourselves on the tip of my tongue. I swallowed them back, though, as Merrick’s gaze flashed to mine, softening in a silent plea.

“I know, Zane. I wouldn’t ask if we had any other choice, but after tonight . . .”

“Yeah, I know.” Zane sighed. “Fine, text me the address and I’ll bring her back with me.”

Merrick’s rigid posture eased some at the assurance. “Thanks, man.”

“You owe me, Ford. Meet us at the club later tonight. I’ll need to make sure we don’t have a tail before leaving the city.”

I chewed on my bottom lip as Merrick disconnected. “Who was that? Can we trust him? And you owe him? What does that mean?”

The questions slipped from my lips one after the other, a blend of panic and confusion mixing in my gut.

Before Merrick could get out a word, Kellan cut him off. “We’ll answer all your questions, little devil, but first, we need Sophia’s address.”

“Right.” I nodded and took a deep breath, my cheeks heating as I rattled off the address for him. Merrick’s thumbs tapped at the screen, light enveloping his face in the dark interior of the blacked-out van.

“That was Zane,” Spade offered, casually wrapping his arm around my shoulders, like this was a normal Tuesday for him. Which, hell, it very well could be.

“Zane works for Sebastian at the fight club,” Kellan said, as though he could see my need for real answers tearing a hole in my insides. “We’ve gotten closer to them over the years. He helped us get a foothold in the beginning with all his connections.”

“So, you trust them?” I asked, hesitantly pulling my hands from Kellan’s so I could think past the comforting haze of his touch.

“Yes,” Merrick answered for him before passing me his phone. “Call Sophia and let her know what’s going on before Zane barges in there and she thinks he’s the one trying to abduct her.”

I typed in her phone number and tapped the speaker icon, giving the guys the same snippet into my life that they’d given me.

I’d been so wrapped up in what had happened to me—escaping Tommaso, reuniting with Merrick and Kellan, and falling for Spade—that I hadn’t realized just how much I didn’t know, both about their plans and their world now.

“Hello?” Sophia’s drowsy voice echoed through the van after the third ring, and I could almost picture her blinking her eyes and scowling at her phone. “This better not be a scam, otherwise I’ll—”

“It’s Giana,” I said, cutting her off, grateful that she was safe—for now, at least. Some of the weight eased off my chest at the sound of her voice and how normal her life must be . . . well, until now, that was. Because, despite everything I’d done to keep her out of this life, she was about to get dragged right into it, whether either of us liked it or not.

“Fuck, Gi,” she groaned, her sheets ruffling in the background. “Do you know what time it is? Wait, you’re not a morning person. What’s wrong?”

“There’s a lot I haven’t told you.” I grimaced, furtively meeting the gazes of my guys, since the statement applied to Merrick and Kellan too. “I kept the truth from you to keep you safe, but it seems like that might not be an option anymore.”

“What are you talking about?” Any trace of grogginess had ebbed from her voice and was now replaced with concern.

“I’ll explain everything when I see you, but you aren’t safe. We have someone coming to get you and bring you to East Haven,” I rushed out, wincing at her gasp.

“Giana Bardot, you tell me this—AH!” Her demand was cut off mid-sentence by a crash in the background that sounded a lot like wood splintering.

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